Identifying 1944-P/D/S Steel Cents

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1944 steel cents from all three US Mints are extremely rare transitional errors occurring when leftover 1943 zinc-coated steel planchets became stuck in annealing furnaces, tote bins or coining presses. Because of their rarity, however–a few dozen have been actually found and authenticated–there are thousands of counterfeits, altered dates and copies flooding online coin venues.

The most common of these ultra rarities came from the Philadelphia Mint, which was using steel planchets to produce foreign coins. Some of those planchets got into the Lincoln cent bin. Fewer than 10 1944-D steel cents have been authenticated. These steel planchets were left over when the Mint started making copper cents that year. Steel planchets were mixed in totes mistakenly and were struck as 1944-S cents.

Step-by-Step Method

  1. To test if you have one of these ultra rarities, use a magnet. If it sticks, you can continue to check if real.
  2. Weigh the coin. If it weighs more than 2.7 grams, typically 3.1 grams, you have a fake.
  3. If not, look at the second “4” in the date. If you spot anything suspicious, such as a scratch or tool mark–or weird spacing between numbers–you have an altered date.
  4. Look for plating bubbles–tiny bumps–in the fields especially. You also might find pitting in these.
  5. Check for strike. Zinc-plated counterfeits have mushy devices and dates. Authentic ones have sharper devices.
  6. A key diagnostic is the word “Liberty.” Again, if mushy, you probably have a fake. In authentic examples, the word not only is sharp but also close to the edge. Striking copper differs from striking steel. The later has more hardness, pushing the “L” close to the rim.

Comparison of “Liberty”

Examples of Fakes

Online sellers on Temu and Etsy have flooded the market with all manner of fakes and replicas.

REPLICAS

CASTING BUBBLES

ZINC PLATED

It goes without saying that you should never bid on or buy a raw 1944 P/D/S steel cent that isn’t certified by a major holding company such as PCGS, NGC, ANACS and CAC. Even then, look up the certification number and check to make sure you are looking at the same coin because China also packages fake coins in fake holders. The best way is to wait for one of these rarities featured on a major auction house such as GreatCollections, Heritage or Stacks Bowers.

f you like posts like this, please go to our counterfeit archive with reports from Jack Riley, Jack D. Young, John Lorenzo and Michael Bugeja. Also, please subscribe so you can be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

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You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.

AI Gone Wild: “It Takes the Glare off” Coin Images!

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By Jack D. Young for Proxiblog

A couple of my current sayings–“Only on the Bay” and “You can’t make this stuff up”–certainly apply to this article.

A good friend and half cent expert sent me a PM with a current eBay half cent link and asked if I saw what he did–pure gibberish in the words and lettering, especially on the reverse.

Reverse 1811 listing image

Wow, is UNITED supposed to look like “EI-EI O”? Kind of reminds me of the recent “Liberty Biberty” insurance commercials! 😎

So, digging further I found the seller had multiple similar imaged listings including this 1884-S Morgan Dollar.

I noticed with this one that the barcode on this “enhanced” image doesn’t scan, and STATES is actually spelled “STATEA”…

Looking up the actual cert number pulled up PCGS TrueView images of the actual coin for this cert.

Subject image on the left, TrueView image on the right

So, not only are the letters misrepresented but some of the nicks and marks of the genuine coin are also smoothed out. Even the “4” is now different!

So I sent a message to the seller, and we had a back and forth that abruptly ended:

And he let the auctions run… I then sent a note to my eBay contacts:

During this research Michael Bugeja and I discussed this situation and the possible implications. He asked AI about AI and received this response:

Sounds like what we are seeing in this seller’s images! And another of his listing’s images:

And Michael’s conversation with the seller and the bottom-line concern. (Read text from bottom up.)

So, crickets from the seller after these exchanges and the listings stayed active. BUT reviewing again after a few days May ALL of the listings were suddenly ended. Maybe eBay actually had a hand in this; it will be interesting to see any relists by this seller in the future!

And a little different spin on the topic: When reviewing eBay listings in my spare time I do see some where a “bad” listing uses exactly the same description as a “good” one.

I assumed the seller just conveniently grabbed the genuine description for use in his listing, but that may not always be the case.

I actually questioned the following seller about his (joke) listing and he responded as follows; I was glad to hear it “passed the ice test” 😎!

I actually wasn’t negative. Then he suddenly ended the listing. Go figure.

It is rather ironic in my opinion his listing was noted as “sponsored” by the Bay. No doubt the sponsorship was via algorithm, maybe a prelude to just how bad that venue can get.

So maybe AI has its place, but I vote to keep it out of my hobby.

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You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.

Woody vs. Roller Marks

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A woody–woodgrain marks on a coin–is caused by an improper alloy mix whereas similar marks are caused by dirty rollers at the Mint. Woodies are collectible. Roller marks are not.

A woody has irregular, streaky, wood-like toning, usually red brown often mixed with lighter brass-like colors. The lines are uneven, splotchy and on both sides of the coin. They often appear on older Wheat and Indian Head Cents.

Roller marks are easy to identify. They are straight and parallel. They usually appear on both sides of a coin, especially ones minted between 1978-1984.

Here is a handy chart:

Feature Woody (Improper Alloy)Roller Marks (Damage)
AppearanceIrregular, splotchy, wood grain textureStraight, uniform, parallel lines
ColorVaries (Red/Brown/Brass)Same as the rest of the coin
DepthSurface toning, usually flush with metalShallow, incuse lines (cut into the metal)
TextureUsually smoothScratched, feels textured
ConsistencyRandom streakingUniform, consistent width

Woodies are collectible but values depend on the condition and mintage/rarity of the coin. Most Wheat cents sell for $5-50; Indian cents, $10-75. Uncirculated ones can command high prices–basically, what one is willing to pay. Example:

If you are bidding on or buying a coin, make sure you can tell the difference. Roller mark coins are often mislabeled as woodies. Examples:

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1982-D Small Date Cent Scam

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There are all manner of scams by people looking to cash in on collectors who do not know markers for ultra rarities. And when it comes to the 1982-D Small Date Bronze transitional error, there is a desperation by newbies educated by clickbait social media that the third example is out there in pocket change.

Sellers take advantage of such ignorance.

If you are interested in an article about the various types of 1982 cents, including all markers for the transitional error, click here.

But let’s cut to the chase with basic knowledge.

Only two 1982-D Small Date 3.1 grams have been found.

Here’s how they look close up.

Here are markers for the small date.

DO NOT bid or buy any coin that is placed on a scale reading 3.1. You’ll be buying a zinc small date, of little or no value. Or a coin on tinkered scale.

You will see several examples on eBay of sellers showing a regular 1982-D large date bronze cent in a PCGS holder. Sellers think if they claim a regular strike is the small date, you’ll believe it, only because it is holdered by PCGS and you don’t know the markers.

Here’s an example:

Here’s how to decipher.

There are two numbers below the condition. In this case below, 146021.58, means two things: 146021 goes to the CoinFacts designation and the 58, the condition, AU58. In the image below, you can see that the 146021 goes to the regular large date strike.

Here’s another example with the seller claiming this large date is a small date. Again, the 146021 gives it away.

The seller of the above coin did not take kindly to my message that this is a scam.

He doesn’t like his time being wasted. He just wants to waste your money.

Ultra rarities are not found in pocket change; when one is, that becomes a national news story. If you think you found one, do not post it on social media and claim authenticity. If you are so sure, send it to PCGS, NGC, ANACS or CAC. And if you want to buy an ultra rarity, make sure you know how to read the holder company label.

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Special W-Mintmark Coins

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Special issue coins typically are made for collectors and have their own designations, devices and mintmarks. Ones featured here are readily available. Some hobbyists collect all of them.

1996-W Roosevelt Dime

One of the most popular special issues is the 1996-W Roosevelt dime, marking the half-century of the design. This was the first base metal coin struck at the West Point mint.

The 1996-W Roosevelt dime is the lowest-mintage business-strike coin in the series (1,457,949). The next lowest was the 1955 dime (12,450,000).

Unlike other business strikes, the coin was not released into circulation. It was a bonus coin included in that year’s U.S. Mint Uncirculated Coin Sets.

It is the only business strike dime carry the W mint mark for West Point.

PCGS recounts the trouble that the Mint had in adding the W mintmark. For the occasion, engraver John Mercanti was asked to hand-punch the mintmark into the die directly. But the steel die was not properly prepared (heated) so the force of the punch made it mushroom. It could not be used. Another engraver had to create an entire new dime model, carving the mintmark directly into the master plaster. This is why the mintmark looks different than on ones used for other W mintmark issues.

If you want to buy or bid on this dime, make sure that it has full bands. PCGS estimates it has holdered some 6,700 dimes that are not full bands compared with 4,500 that have them.

An MS68FB retails for about $60; in MS69FB, about $260.

2019-W Lincoln Cent

The 2019-W cent was produced to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the Lincoln cent. PCGS lists three finishes for the dime, released as a bonus in these sets:

  • Proof finish: Included with the standard 2019 Proof Set.
  • Reverse Proof finish: Included with the 2019 Silver Proof Set.
  • Uncirculated finish: Included with the 2019 Uncirculated Mint Set.

As with all coins manufactured for collectors, the overwhelming number of coins will be uncirculated still and not worth much unless in extremely high grades. Examples of the business strike in MS69 are worth about $30 whereas an MS70 retails for about $350.

2020-W Jefferson Nickel

This was the first U.S. nickel to bear a “W” mintmark. The regular nickel came inside the 2020 Mint Proof Set. A 2020-W Jefferson Nickel in a Reverse Proof format came inside the 2020 Silver Proof Set.

The Mint planned to make a 2020-W nickel with an uncirculated finish to be included in the 2020 Uncirculated Coin Set. The COVID-19 illness limited production, however, and the issue was canceled.

The 2020-W Proof Nickel had a mintage of 464,039; the 2020-W Reverse Proof Nickel, 313,185. These typically retail online for $35 in PR69 and $80 in PR70.

2015-W March of Dimes

The 2015-W March of Dimes Proof Silver Dime and the 2015-P March of Dimes Reverse Proof Silver Dime also were special release issues. They were available only when collectors bought the 2015 March of Dimes Special Silver Set.

2015-W Proof Silver Dime was the first ever silver proof Roosevelt dime to carry the “W” mint mark and also the first non-dollar denomination coin to ever be produced with a reverse proof finish.

The set was limited to 75,000 units. As such, both silver dimes are some of the scarcest in the Roosevelt series.

Depending on the price of silver, the 3-Coin Set typically sells for about $200.

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eBay Counterfeit Scams

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By Jack D. Young

Come on eBay! You can do better than this!

Several friends notified me of an obvious scam on eBay recently involving a PCGS certified 1882-CC image used by multiple sellers (showing the same origin location) listed for sale at a bargain price.

Past auction listing- I added seller’s reverse image to this

I have written previous articles on these “bait and switch” tactics by MANY eBay sellers using genuine coin images (to help fool artificial intelligence, which needs little help to do currently) to sell counterfeit coins. I have actually purchased a couple in the past just to see what a buyer would get and reported them and received my purchase price back.

So, a couple of bad signs with this listing:

Image of a genuine PCGGS certed example; PCGS shows a value of $450.00.

Listed price $39.99 with 2 sold and more than 10 available.

And the seller’s feedback notes:

Well, at least they show eBay “Verified purchases”!

And while I was reviewing this one 5 other listings with the same stock images but different sellers popped up; I started saving images and organizing my files:

From this I put a note together and sent a message to eBay alerting them about this scam and reported the subject listing.

Note to eBay

I reported them all through the feeble AI reporting process with all coming back as no policy violations including the subject example.

And so I decided to buy this one and see what I would receive.

And I received a typical CN counterfeit CC Morgan with the slashed eagle reverse!

I emailed the seller with no response; looks like he packed up his “shop,” and nothing now listed.

And going back to check the listing and follow-up I find eBay now removed the listing! It did allow me to request a return and leave appropriate feedback for the seller.

Now 3 negative feedbacks for the counterfeit bait and switch!

So we’ll see where this goes from here, as eBay stated they will step in if requested May 1. Pretty sure I won’t hear back from the seller by then.

And he apparently sold MANY of these through several different seller IDs right under eBay’s nose.

And continued reviewing turned up the genuine example and seller the scammers used for their listings:

So, come on eBay! You can do better than this.

We can do better, too, as hobbyists by learning how to identify fakes.

If you like posts like this, please go to our counterfeit archive with reports from Jack Riley, Jack D. Young, John Lorenzo and Michael Bugeja. Also, please subscribe so you can be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has thousands of followers on Facebook Coin Groups, YouTube and social media. To get the latest discussion and commentary, be sure to friend us by clicking here.

You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.

13 Common Mint Errors of Little Value

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Machines that make coins do so with tens of tons of pressure from incredibly high-speed mass production coining presses that use brittle steel dies on all manner of planchets, some with thin-plating zinc. As working dies reach the end of their lives, or as machines rattle from all that pressure, these common errors occur on different denominations (consult the Illustrated Glossary for definitions):

  • die chatter
  • die chips
  • die cracks
  • die gouge
  • delamination
  • die dent
  • die deterioration
  • filled mint marks
  • machine doubling
  • plating blisters
  • roller marks
  • split plating
  • struck through

These are only worth a few dollars, if you can find anyone who wants to buy them. Go to the “sold” button on eBay and you’ll see the results.

Here’s some die crack examples:

How, specifically, do these errors happen?

Die Deterioration, Chips, Cracks, Gouges, Die Chatter: These occur when working dies–minting hundreds of thousands of coins–become worn from the pressure and brittle. Minute pieces of the die break or crack from the pressure, and metal fill the voids with raised appearance.

Machine Doubling, Die Deterioration Doubling, Die Dents: These are mechanical errors as opposed to mint errors. They occur when the die bounces or moves during coining. The result is not raised but shelflike.

Filled Mintmarks: Until the late 1980s, mintmarks were punched directly into the working die. This was an extra step back then, so not only do the mintmarks appear in different places but also, depending on the punch, were susceptible to clogging.

Plating Blisters, Split Plating Doubling: After 1982, cents were made of zinc. these are caused by trapped gas or thin copper plating breaking over the zinc core, often mimicking doubling.

Roller Marks: Not technically an error, these resemble the mint error on cents called “woodies” (again, consult the glossary) that look like wood grain due to improper annealing. But roller lines are caused by uncleaned rollers used in the minting process.

Delamination: This happens a metal alloy does not cohere properly, resulting in the surface peeling off. These are common in older coins, especially zinc cents.

You do not need a coin microscope to see these. Magnification makes these common errors look significant; they are not. At best these sell for a few dollars on eBay.

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Counterfeit Franklin Half Dollars (Missing FS)

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By Jack Riley

A recent surface of counterfeit Franklin Half Dollars has hit the numismatic community. The subject coin was shared in a large open Facebook group and was quickly identified as a modern counterfeit.

Comparing this example to others I have saved shows three dates sharing a common obverse (and reverse). Reverse markers aren’t indicated due to the obverse being interchanged with various mints including Denver and San Francisco.

Repeated markers highlighted in red include:

  • Missing FS initials
  • Reacting circulation marks on the lower bust
  • High “19” in the date

Consider this last photo and aforementioned summary. That’s how closely you have to inspect raw coins being sold online. China is flooding the market with fakes and fakes within fakes (counterfeit coins in counterfeit PCGS holders).

Proxiblog is proud to be at the forefront of exposing these scammers.

If you like posts like this, please subscribe so you can be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has thousands of followers on Facebook Coin Groups, YouTube and social media. To get the latest discussion and commentaries, click here.

You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.

Bad 1923 $20 gold and not-PCGS slab

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By Jack D. Young for Proxiblog

So, how bad has it been on the Bay? I asked that question in a Facebook group and the majority stated it has become worse for counterfeits. This article demonstrates how.

And a recent painful experience follows. As a counterfeit researcher and article writer I review many different sites and forums for new examples. One is AliExpress and the many offerings of fake coins in fake “PCGS” holders such as the following:

I just added this one to my files and waited. … And then this recent eBay listing popped up in my daily review:

OK, so the seller actually used the Ali images for his listing!

He also included images of what I assume he actually had in-hand, and both are bad.

Interestingly, both sets of images have the same bad obverse label and no-read barcode, but the reverse QR codes were different.

The Ali one and images used have a reverse QR code that takes one to the Chinese (CN) PCGS site as typical for that generation of fake in a fake, but his one in-hand leads to the Europe PCGS site as I disclosed in a recent article on these–a latest development!

And another surprise, the listing was reported to eBay and was removed. Seller was also notified that his coin was bad. He responded but allowed his listing to continue:

eBay seller’s response to my message

Instead, he relisted, this time without the Ali images.

Sellers relist after 1st was removed

Again multiple reports apparently resulted in the listing being removed.

So, then a 3rd try by this determined seller.

2nd relist

An entirely different set of images and setting, but same bad coin and not-PCGS slab and cert number. And the same nonsense obverse barcode with the reverse QR code taking us to France!

Revised images of the same counterfeit and 3rd seller Bay listing

And the “coin” itself? Not the same as the certified genuine example:

eBay subject example on the left, genuine PCGS example for the cert # on the right

And the disappointing twist–eBay would NOT remove this 3rd attempt after multiple reports.

And I guess I got a little testy after it showed sold:

Interestingly after this report the listing was removed, but no way to know if it saved the buyer. I suppose we just need to wait until the seller relists.

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You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.

Bad Coin Rolls and Documented Bay Seller

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Jack D. Young for Proxiblog

So I previously wrote a Coin Week article on attributing a counterfeit 1893-O Morgan Dollar and noted the high bad feedback eBay seller:

Counterfeit 1893-O Morgan Dollar: A Diagnostic Case Study

That same seller also sold 2 mixed rolls of small cents faced with an apparent 1857 Flying Eagle cent to a Face Book friend; it turned out the FE is a known counterfeit, and the new owner posted them and the link to my Coin Week article about them!

The OP noted the counterfeit “tells” for this style counterfeit on his example (circled in red) referencing the Coin Week article attributions.

Bottom image of the OP’s FB post on the subject

Image from the referenced Coin Week article showing other examples with the matching marks:

Counterfeit 1857 Flying Eagle Cents You Should Avoid | CoinWeek

While reviewing the article for images (I often go back to my own published article for reference while researcher subject “coins”!) I noticed the OP had posted a comment which I responded to.

So, purchased in 2023 and now aware as a result of the article! Ironically the article was published in 2023 as well…

Comments from the subject Coin Week article

2023 and the seller is still “at large” 😎! I immediately found another listing from him for a similar roll, documented his images and then worked to “win” the auction.

Recent identical eBay roll listing- I won!

So all I had to do was wait for this to be delivered. I was already planning how to document what it is once in-hand, taking images as I worked to uncover the detail I thought would match my friends, but that turned to be too easy a thought…

I was initially pretty confident I would see the “Bad T” in UNITED, but that documented attribution point wasn’t there!

Image from my microscope of my FE in the roll

OK, so what, did the seller actually slip a genuine example in the roll? My plan was failing so I just carefully unwrapped the whole roll and then imaged the contents:

And the FE? 1st thing of note is he is using repeated stock images; mine was positioned differently relative to the roll:

Listing image of the roll on the left, received on the right- date not apparent

And once removed from the roll I immediately recognized it after digging through my article:

Coin received is actually the 2nd counterfeit documented in the article, as noted:
Additional article images

So, now again confident he slipped a counterfeit into the roll I decided to send him a message. My previous attempts on the 1893-O Morgan failed because he doesn’t accept messages but apparently does when a current purchased item is linked.

Yeah, right. … But he did immediately refund my purchase price without involving eBay- a surprise for sure given all of his past responses to negative feedback given.

And he then listed another one, but I found I am now banned by him for any future listings.

Keeping it real, Jack.

If you like posts like this, please subscribe so you can be informed whenever there is a new article or column.

Proxiblog also has thousands of followers on Facebook Coin Groups, YouTube and social media. To get the latest discussion and commentaries, click here.

You can find more information about errors and varieties as well as buying and bidding on coins in Coin News Updated: The Essential Guide to Online Bidding. Please consider purchasing the work for yourself or a friend, as it underwrites this hobbyist website. Thank you.